


When The Night Turns Cold (My Thoughts Feel Like Stone)

by bonespell



Series: Full Disclosure [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Everyone Is Having Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Legend Is Having Issues, Linked Universe, Mentions of death/violence, Warriors Is Having Issues, and it catches up to him in this one, buckle up and once again, dunno about happy but small victories, mood, no worries all death was temporary everyone is alive, warriors is too busy helping w everyone else’s unresolved trauma to deal w his own, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27378340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonespell/pseuds/bonespell
Summary: As soon as Ravio leaves the room, Legend levels him with a glare. “Nightmares?”“I, um,” Warriors says intelligently. Legend drops his face into his hands.“Please tell me they’re not-”“They are.”“Fuck.”“Yeah,” Warriors laughs. It’s bitter. “Yeah.”
Relationships: Legend & Warriors (Linked Universe)
Series: Full Disclosure [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999987
Comments: 22
Kudos: 222





	When The Night Turns Cold (My Thoughts Feel Like Stone)

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i’ve been inactive! october has been a Month for me, but ya girl back and has so many ideas. why. so many ideas. here we go.
> 
> this one’s dedicated to allen (@fuwafuwallen on instagram) who sent me a surprise fanart and singlehandedly kickstarted my motivation. i speedran this. i wrote this today. one sitting.

Warriors handles Legend like he’s fragile. He’s not, and Warriors knows this, but while the veteran is crying in his arms (as much as Legend will try to deny it later), he feels almost breakable.

Warriors knows he has no time to decode everything that he’s heard. No time to process everything. However, Warriors is an  _ expert _ at unresolved trauma, and that’s exactly what Legend is dealing with here.

“Hey,” Warriors whispers after a long moment. “Hey. Deep breath?” 

Legend inhales and exhales, purposefully slow. On the exhale, Warriors rubs circles into his back. Legend is clutching at his scarf and gasping like he’s been holding this in for a long time. Warriors hasn’t ever seen him like this. Doubted he ever would.

It’s okay, though. Warriors’ll be there for him. It’s what brothers are for.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When they walk back to camp, Wind immediately attaches himself to Legend, staring up at him. Legend looks surprised. They’ve never been close, Warriors doesn’t think. Legend isn’t particularly close with anyone save Hyrule. And him, he guesses.

Time is behind Legend suddenly, because the Old Man is disturbingly quiet when he moves. He lays a hand on Legend’s shoulder, and Legend jumps, inching closer to Warriors almost imperceptibly. Warriors lets him lean close. Doesn’t say anything.

“Legend, please. Explain to us what happened back there. We  _ saw _ him kill you- you kill yourself-” The question in the air comes from Wild, to Warriors’ surprise. Wild’s face is red, and he looks upset. He supposes he shouldn’t be surprised. Wild has a hell of a guilt complex.

“I…” Legend trails off, looking lost. Warriors takes his hand for support, only slightly surprised when Legend’s fingers thread with his. Legend’s never been one for reciprocating affection, but recently (at least with Warriors) he’s been different.

“It was… my first adventure,” Legend says finally, shutting his eyes. He’s avoiding all eye contact, and Warriors squeezes their conjoined fingers. “I… There was this… dark magic, and it-”

Legend chokes on his words. Everyone is staring at him with looks of pity. Warriors has seen Legend angry, yelling about how he hates pity. Warriors has been the subject of the yelling, even - but now, Legend can’t look them in the eyes. It hurts to watch.

He’s nineteen. He didn’t even know he was nineteen. He’d been through so much that he’d forgotten. Warriors wants to pull him back into the circle of his arms and cover his ears. He wants to scream at the world while Legend gets to finally take a deep breath. It  _ hurts _ , knowing there’s nothing he could have done.

Legend’s shoulders begin to shake almost imperceptibly, and Warriors jerks back to attention. He waves the others away, turning to face Legend. Legend’s opened his eyes now, and is staring at him. The look in his eyes breaks Warriors’ heart.

“Legend,” He says softly, suppressing his anger and sadness. He needs to be the strong one for the moment. He can take his turn in someone’s comforting warmth later. “What do you need? We can go somewhere or stay here? We can do something to distract you? It’s okay. They’re not mad. They’re not.”

Warriors keeps talking as he watches Legend try to inhale slowly and blink away the tears in his eyes. He also knows how Legend hates to cry. Lately he’s watched him angrily scrub away more tears than he’s let out. He wishes Legend would understand that sometimes you need to cry. 

He knows it’s hard to believe, but a dear friend taught him that. He takes after Lana’s kind example and takes both of Legend’s hands into his, soothing him as the dam breaks and tears slide down his cheeks. Legend tries to pull his hands away to violently rub at his eyes, but Warriors holds them in place. Scraping the skin off his cheeks won’t be good for anyone in this situation.

Finally Legend opens his mouth to say something. Warriors waits patiently, sitting comfortably on his knees, mirroring Legend’s position while facing him. He chokes on his first word, and Warriors gives him an encouraging smile.

Legend gives it another go, but nothing comes out. His eyebrows furrow, seemingly angry at himself. He takes a sigh and then does something that surprises the hell out of Warriors - Legend hunches forward, dropping his forehead onto Warriors’ shoulder and exhales. It’s a long exhale but not quite a sigh, and Warriors rubs circles into the back of his hand with his thumb. He didn’t think Legend would be a fan of any more public displays of affection, but Warriors is comfortable if he is. 

Legend needs this right now. Needs to be reminded he’s just a boy. Not a monster. That nobody’s mad. Warriors can do that for him.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Warriors takes second watch. It’s the worst watch to wake up for by far, but he figures he outwardly appears as the least emotionally conflicted right now. He drops his elbows onto his knees and leans forward. Everyone’s asleep. Peaceful.

Warriors can still remember the feeling of Legend’s dented skull under his intentionally gentle fingers from weeks ago.

He sees Legend’s deaths in his dreams, but he doesn’t wake up. He supposes it makes sense to have issues with such a thing, but he was a captain in the bloodiest war in his history. He’s seen so much worse. His men, mangled and tortured and in pieces.

Well, he supposes he has seen Legend in pieces. He wants to give that a bitter laugh, but can’t muster up the willpower to do so. He remembers the feeling of the thread sliding between his fingers. He remembers taking the needle from Legend’s shaking hands, and he remembers being sick later, sobbing behind a tree with his hand clapped over his mouth so he wouldn’t puke.

He did end up puking. He couldn’t stop thinking about the press of the sliced, loose flesh under his hands. Couldn’t stop thinking about the way Legend gritted his teeth and grabbed at the scarf. The way Legend couldn’t meet his eyes while thanking him. 

The way that Legend was more inclined to let himself bleed out and Warriors find him like that, rather than come find Warriors and ask for help. Warriors would help him. Legend is his brother. He’d do anything for him.

He wonders if Legend knows that. He’s not sure he does.

Warriors can’t sleep anymore. He takes second watch because he’s already up most nights. He drifts off and remembers the disgusting squelch of blood under his fingers, and shoots right back up in bed. It’s nights like this that Warriors misses Lana.

Lana appeared mysteriously and immediately assumed the role of caring for everyone. She would march Impa to bed if she was up planning too late. She would stand by Zelda every meeting to provide moral support against the insufferable old royal court appointed by her father. She would comb her hands through Warriors’ hair on bad nights, using her magic to put him to sleep and scare away the horrible images in his brain.

After the war, Zelda stopped her and asked if they’d see her again. Lana’s face had flashed from a look of sadness back to her natural smile, and didn’t say anything. She’d walked off into the cool dawn air, and only a few short months later some familiar strangers had shown up at the castle asking for Link.

Warriors wishes he had her power. Wishes he could lay down and use his magic to knock himself out and get a full night of sleep. He thinks, though, that Legend in his arms, bloody and cold, will be an image he never forgets.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Legend attaches himself to Warriors’ side almost immediately when they begin walking after breakfast. His face is furrowed in anger that’s a little more real than his resting face.

“You doing okay?” Warriors mutters to him, shifting the leather straps of his armour to sit more comfortably. Legend gives him a curt nod.

“Yeah,” He snaps, and then his face softens just a little. “Sorry. Not mad at you. Just… mad.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Warriors shrugs. “I get it, man. Anything I can do?”

Legend shakes his head, and Warriors leaves it. He can tell Legend’s gone back on the defensive, and nothing he can say right now will change that. Legend needs to think, and Warriors will gladly offer his silent support and companionship.

Legend presses closer to Warriors, until they’re shoulder to shoulder. Warriors looks around to see the others staring at the pair of them, and straightens out his shoulders, widening his frame in an attempt to shield Legend from view.

He knows none of them are the greatest in social situations, but he does think they’d know by now that staring at someone after they couldn’t get through telling a story about their biggest secret is a terrible idea.

The walk feels awkward until, like usual, Hyrule comes to Legend’s rescue. Warriors watches him put on his bubbliest face and show Legend the most recent flowers he’d pressed in his research notebook and talk all about them. Legend visibly softens, and when Hyrule looks up at Warriors, he shoots the kid a wink. 

Hyrule’s smarter than he’s given credit for, Warriors thinks. The atmosphere quickly gets more comfortable, and conversation breaks out. Warriors goes to mess with Wind’s hair and hear him give an indignant shout. Maybe Legend can tell Hyrule and it’ll be a start. Work his way up.

That’d be a good idea.

And as per usual, the peace doesn’t last. Two of Wild’s moblins step out of the woods, each holding massive clubs. Warriors can only remember the sticky feeling of blood, the dip in the shattered skull, the cold cheeks and empty chest-

“Warriors, move!” Sky yells, and a solid body slams into his own, sending them both tumbling for the grass. They hit the side of a hill and roll down, stopping right before they roll into a giant mud puddle. Sky flops down next to him, breathing heavily. He has a bloody cut on his cheek, and they’re both a little battered from their impromptu trip, but Warriors is fine and Sky seems to be.

When they trek to the top of the hill, the moblins are already dead. Legend has black blood splattered across his face, and the raging fire in his eyes splutters into a soft, steady flame when he sees Warriors. He nods, and Warriors returns the gesture. 

“Hey, Wars,” Twilight calls. “Think you can give me a hand with this?”

Warriors gives an affirmative, unrolling the bandages to help Twilight wrap his wrist. It looks swollen. Warriors doesn’t envy him.

“So,” Twilight raises his eyebrow (an infamous face - it’s something only Legend, Twilight, and Warriors can do, and the three of them use it very effectively in many a different way). “What’s going on with you?”

“What?”

“Cap, do you think you’re sneaky? We can all see how exhausted you are. You haven’t been sleeping lately. What’s going on?”

“Same old shit,” Warriors scoffs, turning Twilight’s wrist with an apologetic glance at the following pained hiss. “Nightmares, you know? War stuff.”

Twilight levels him with the most deadpan deadpan Warriors thinks he’s ever seen. If Time has the threatening look of scolding, Twilight has the serious face of the group. Genuinely, he’s impressed.

“I know it’s not war stuff. When it’s war stuff, you avoid everyone. You give everyone your food like you’re running low on rations. You check up with everyone once an hour. This time you’re jumping in front of arrows, you’re freezing in battle… you have to tell us what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s-”

“Cut the shit,” Twilight cuts him off, and that’s such a  _ Legend _ turn of phrase that Warriors is temporarily shocked, and then he sighs the biggest sigh he can muster in the moment.

“I’ve known. About Legend. For a while. I won’t tell his story, it’s his to tell, but I found out by… finding him. Watched him get bashed over the skull, felt the dent with my hands. Carried his cold body halfway back, and then he woke up. Was so shocked I dropped him.”

“Dropped him? Like,” Twilight mimes letting go of someone he’s holding, and Warriors pulls his hand back to tie off the bandages.

“Mhm,” Warriors sighs. “Yeah. Like that.”

Twilight snorts, and then shakes his head. “Sorry. Sorry, that’s not funny, that-”

“No, it is,” Warriors looks down with a smile. “That specific part of the situation is funny. But I… can’t stop thinking about it. He was so cold. No person should be that cold, and Legend runs so hot usually, like, have you ever been next to him in the rain he’s a human furnace and I envy it, and-”

Two hands land themselves on his cheeks. Warriors recognizes this as the technique Twilight uses on Wild when he starts to talk fast and trip over his words in a flurry of self blame. He realises right then he was doing something  _ very _ similar.

“He’s alive, Wars. And you need to talk to him about this. From where I’m watching, he thinks he only has you. Everyone else has become a threat to him. On top of that, you won’t stop watching him. It’s like if he leaves your sight, something bad will happen. You need to talk. Both of you.”

“Goddamn,” Warriors says softly, leaning into Twilight’s hand. “Thought this was my job. When did you get so good at it?”

“I deal with Wild’s guilt on a day-to-day basis. Nothing is too big a task,” Twilight monotones, staring Warriors dead in the eyes. Warriors finally laughs then, batting Twilight’s hands away. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll talk to him. You go deal with your protege. He, um…” Warriors takes another glance at Wild, who’s got the biggest blond knot in the back of his head that Warriors has ever seen. Legend is snapping something they’re too far away to hear, picking at it with his comb and his fingers. Wild has a very sour look on his face. “He… yeah. Have fun.”

Warriors puts a hand on Legend’s shoulder. “Hey, I need an opinion real quick, can you come with me? Don’t worry, Wild, Twi is coming to help.”

Wild whips around, ignoring Legend’s surprised yelp when the comb is yanked from his hands, stuck in the knot. “Please protect me. I’m gonna get lectured.”

“That, my friend,” Legend says, raising the corner of his mouth smugly, “is your problem.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“What do you need?” Legend asks, crossing his arms and leaning against a tree.

“I,” Warriors says, and realises he has no idea where to start.

“...You?”

“Do you really think you only have me in your corner?” Warriors blurts, and regrets it as soon as it leaves his mouth. Legend’s eyes widen in shock.

“What the hell?”

Warriors takes a deep breath. “Twilight, um, big brothered me. He told me that… you seemed to think that I was the only one you could trust. You know… you know that’s not true, right? You can trust all of us.”

Legend won’t meet his eyes again. Warriors drags a hand down over his face in frustration with himself.

“You can, Legend. They love you. We all do. They don’t care that you’re…”

“A-”

“If you say ‘a monster’, I’ll smack you so hard you’ll see the future.”

Legend gives an amused huff, finally making eye contact. “I… I know. I do, deep down. I swear that I do. It’s just… it’s been so long… and they found out in possibly the worst way they could have. And if all of them are as overprotective as you’ve been since you found out, I think I’ll die of humiliation.”

“Ha-ha,” Warriors rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “You don’t mind it. You get really clingy when you think nobody is looking.”

“I do not!”

“Mm, yes you do.”

“Shut the fuck up. Right now. Stop speaking. If I hear another word I’ll suplex you into the Dark World. That’s a promise. Stop laughing, Warriors. Stop it.”

Warriors leans against a tree to stay upright while he wheezes, watching Legend flail his hands around, clearly offended.

That’s half of the talk, at least. Kinda. He would continue, but he thinks if he does, Legend will simply combust from an overload of feeling time. Emotionally constipated bastard.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


They arrive at a cottage at the top of a hill. Legend peeks in the lit windows before he rolls his shoulders back and knocks on the door. A face identical to his greets them from inside.

Warriors watched Ravio’s face light up. It never won’t be weird to see that sort of energy on Legend’s face, that sort of glee and peppiness coming from Legend’s voice. It was weird meeting Legend and hearing Ravio’s voice all monotone and snarky at first, but he’s found that his views on the subject have reversed the more time he’d spent around Legend.

“Mr. Hero! You’re home! And you brought all of your friends! Please, come in! Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes!” Ravio beams, grabbing Legend’s shoulders and ushering him into the house. Legend sputters.

“How the fuck do you always know? You always know! It’s terrifying, Rav!”

“It’d be no fun if I told all my secrets, Mr. Hero! Please, take off your boots and take a seat!”

Warriors watches the exchange in amusement. Legend and Ravio move around the house like they’re practiced at it, bickering all the way. It’s nice to finally see Legend relaxed for the first time in a while, and it’s always nice to see Ravio again, even if Ravio doesn’t remember him yet. Doesn’t know him, he supposes is a better way to phrase it.

Wind comes up behind him, tugging on his scarf with a yawn. “Wars, can we go to bed yet?”

“Don’t you want dinner?” Warriors asks, crouching down in front of him. When they’re tired, he’s found Wind and the kid are- were-  _ are, he has to believe are, he has to believe the kid is still out there and maybe he’ll even see him again someday _ \- very similar.

Wind seems to consider this for a moment, before nodding sleepily. Warriors ruffles his hair before standing back up, kicking his boots off into the foyer. Time and Four have joined Legend and Ravio in dinner preparation, and when they do sit down, he’ll admit, the soup is very good. It’s even made in his favourite way… he wonders if Legend shares his tastes and if it’s another Link Thing, or if Ravio just makes it like that and it’s a strange coincidence. He has a vague memory in the back of his brain at helping someone stir soup. He’s not sure who.

Wind is basically nodding off in his chair, so Warriors, knowing he’ll protest in the morning, scoops Wind up, placing his little brother on his hip. Wind places his hands on his shoulder, and then rests his head on them. Warriors tracks down Ravio and asks him to take him somewhere he can put Wind to bed for the night.

“Right this way! I cleaned out one of our storage rooms for the next time you all came around! We have beds for everyone, if some of you don’t mind doubling up!” Ravio says with a flourish of his hands. Warriors smiles at the showmanship. It’s familiar.

Ravio pushes open a door under the stairs, and it reveals a big room with six beds spread across the room. “Take your pick, Mr. Captain Hero Sir!”

Warriors startles. That name… no. Ravio knows he’s a captain already - Legend had introduced him as such, not to mention they call him Captain instead of Warriors a good half of the time. That’s what it is, he’s sure. It’s not much at all.

Warriors lays Wind down in the bed by the window, tucking the blankets up to his chin. Wind curls into them. Warriors will double up with Wind later, to save any infighting. As big and strong as Wind acts, Warriors knows full well he loves to latch onto anyone near him when he’s tired.

“Thank you, Ravio,” Warriors smiles. “Thank you for hosting us. I know we’re loud.”

“Always a pleasure!” Ravio beams at him. “It’s good to see you all safe. Good to see Link so cheery. I… always a pleasure.”

Warriors is a little thrown when Ravio’s tone becomes a little more somber at the end, but as fast as he can blink, the seriousness is gone and his bubbly persona is back. Warriors isn’t supposed to know Ravio yet, so he doesn’t comment, even if he thinks from experience that he should.

He gives Ravio one more pleasant nod and joins the others, sitting next to Legend on the couch and throwing his arm over the back of it behind him. Legend bumps their shoulders together in acknowledgement, paying close attention to Hyrule’s newest lesson about the plants he’d discovered and their uses.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Warriors is in for another sleepless night. When the moon is high in the sky, illuminating the path to the door, he detaches Wind from his arm and slips out of the room silently. He’ll get a glass of water and try at sleep again soon.

Warriors is reaching for a glass when he hears Ravio say, “You too? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Warriors nearly screeches, fumbling his glass. It slips from his grasp and shatters, and Ravio rushes up. “I’ll clean it up! Don’t touch! Come over here, don’t step on it.”

Warriors is too shocked to listen. How was Ravio so silent? How didn’t he notice him when he entered the room? Did Ravio somehow sneak in behind him? Better yet, what did Ravio mean by ‘ _ Guess I shouldn’t be surprised _ ?’

“What?” Ravio asks. “I’ve been dropping every hint I could think of that it’s already happened to me. Does it really surprise you, Captain?”

Ravio’s tone is soft and serious, and not like his persona at all. Warriors stares. He… it… 

“That’s not the point of this. I know you well enough to know you haven’t been sleeping. I know Link well enough to know that everyone’s found out, haven’t they? He won’t leave my side. He’s doing that thing he does where he thinks he can’t trust anyone, isn’t he?”

“How the hell…” 

“I’m far more perceptive than I seem. I thought you would know that. Come on,” Ravio sits him down on the couch. “Tell me what’s going on. I know Link the best of anyone in his life, besides maybe the princess, but I’m the only option right now.”

So Warriors does. Warriors tells him everything that’s happened - Ravio is a surprisingly good listener, and he’s proved it time and time again. Ravio nods along understandingly.

At the end of the rant, Ravio tells him to ‘wait here’ and gets up, going up the stairs. He returns with Legend in tow.

“Did you wake him up for this?” Warriors asks, and Ravio laughs.

“No, no,” He says, waving the hand he doesn’t have locked around Legend’s wrist to pull him along through the air. “Link doesn’t sleep.”

“I resent that,” Legend grumbles, but he sounds very awake. Warriors supposes Ravio is telling the truth. The merchant in question sits Legend down on the couch, and claps his hands gleefully.

“Captain, talk to Link about your nightmares. Figure out a solution. I can’t have you as sleep zombies under my roof. What would it do to my reputation? If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen, cleaning up the broken glass.”

As soon as Ravio leaves the room, Legend levels him with a glare. “Nightmares?”

“I, um,” Warriors says intelligently. Legend drops his face into his hands. 

“Please tell me they’re not-”

“They are.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Warriors laughs. It’s bitter. “Yeah.”

“So let me get this straight,” Legend says. “This entire time, you’ve been having nightmares about me, and you didn’t even tell me?  _ Warriors _ .”

“If I told you, you’d blame yourself,” Warriors shrugs. “You were dealing with you at the time. I wasn’t going to make you deal with me.”

“You were dealing with me, though! Wars. How could you just…” 

“What, put you first?” Warriors asks, staring Legend dead in the eyes. It almost feels like a challenge. “Legend, you’re my brother. I’ll  _ always _ put you first.”

The air is knocked out of his chest as Legend throws his arms around him. 

“Wh…”

“You’re a fucking moron,” Legend says into his shoulder. Warriors hugs him back hesitantly. “We’ll work through it together? I’m not good at this, but I think that’s the best idea.”

“I’m willing to bet you’re right,” Warriors replies quietly, hugging back tighter. He cards a hand through Legend’s hair.

“Yeah, me too. I do that,” Legend says in return, and Warriors can hear his mischievous smile.

Warriors ever so gently shoves him off the couch.

**Author's Note:**

> i have plans for an epic third installment and i shall cackle evilly while you all who follow my content watch, concerned <3
> 
> links (come say hi/and or yell at me for my sins!!!)
> 
> tumblr: http://bonespell.tumblr.com/
> 
> instagram: https://instagram.com/bonespell._?igshid=ldttylwcn5ke


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